P.3-10: Mallards in New Zealand exhibit adaptive and maladaptive habitat choices of brood-rearing areas
by Jennifer L. Sheppard, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, et al
Presented by Todd W. Arnold - Email: arnol065@umn.edu
Duckling survival is the most influential factor affecting population growth of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in New Zealand. Understanding how habitat choices affect duckling survival can provide valuable insights for managing landscapes to increase...
P.3-11: Nest Attendance in Boreal Ducks
by Ryan Johnstone , MES Student, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, et al
Presented by Ryan Johnstone - Email: ryanphjohnstone@gmail.com
Incubation plays a crucial role in embryonic development and nest and parental survival in birds. Among most waterfowl species, only females incubate eggs and therefore face a tradeoff between self-maintenance and incubation. These patterns of nest a...
Q.1-1: Mallard Introductions to New Zealand Result in Extensive Hybridization with Endemic Grey Ducks
by Joshua I. Brown, Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, et al
Presented by Joshua I. Brown - Email: jibrown@miners.utep.edu
A sub-species of the Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), the New Zealand Grey Duck (A. superciliosa superciliosa) is endemic to New Zealand (NZ). The closely related Mallard (A. platyrhynchos), was introduced to NZ in the mid-1860s, although sust...
Q.1-2: Pre-historic ranges of endemic, endangered ducks in Hawaii
by Caitlin P. Wells, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins, CO, et al
Presented by Philip Lavretsky - Email: plavretsky@utep.edu
One challenge facing reintroductions of long-extirpated species is knowledge of past range extent and ecology. The Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis) is one of the few remaining endemic species of Hawaiian waterfowl, and is critically endangered; curren...
Q.1-3: The role of the Rice Stewardship Partnership in waterfowl conservation in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
by Taylor J. Linder, University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, Monticello, AR, USA, et al
Presented by Taylor J. Linder - Email: LinderTJ@uamont.edu
Ricelands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi provide rich foraging habitat for wintering waterfowl, supporting the energetic demands of nearly 40% of wintering waterfowl in the Mississippi Flyway. Though ...
Q.1-4: Wetland Conservation through the Louisiana Waterfowl Project
by Aaron Pierce, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Lafayette, Louisiana
Presented by Aaron Pierce - Email: apierce@ducks.org
Louisianas coastal wetlands are critical natural resources that provide habitat for millions of wintering waterfowl. However, Louisiana also has the highest coastal wetland loss rate of any state in the U.S., approximately 44 km2 per year. Thus, re...
Q.1-5: Evaluating Hunter Surveys at Oakwood Bottoms Greentree Reservoir in Southern Illinois
by Ethan M Dittmer, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois, et al
Presented by Ethan M Dittmer - Email: ethan.dittmer@siu.edu
Human-dimensions research provides wildlife managers with feedback from the users of sites they manage. These user data can help managers to make informed decisions that aim to reach long-term management goals while addressing users opinions. During ...
Q.1-6: Predicting waterfowl hunter attitudes towards greentree reservoir management practices
by Jakeb G. Spears, University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, Monticello, AR, USA, et al
Presented by Jakeb G. Spears - Email: SpearsJG@uamont.edu
The attitude concept is a ubiquitous evaluative measure used by agencies to understand stakeholders views on wildlife management policy. In Arkansas, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) manages greentree reservoirs (GTRs) and assesses stakeh...
Q.1-7: Rice Agriculture and Wildlife Conservation in California: A grower’s perspective
by Luke Matthews, California Rice Commission, Sacramento, California , et al
Presented by Luke Matthews - Email: lmatthews@calrice.org
In the face of large-scale changes to agricultural practices, we developed a survey to better understand how environmental and economic factors shape the decisions made by rice growers related to post-harvest practices on their farms. We sent a compr...
Q.2-01: Changing Post-Harvest Practices in Rice and Corn fields in California
by Luke Matthews, California Rice Commission, Sacramento, California , et al
Presented by Luke Matthews - Email: lmatthews@calrice.org
Agricultural practices are constantly evolving as the climate changes, crops are modified, and advanced technology becomes more readily available. Waste grains from agricultural crops, specifically rice and corn, supply 70% for the food needs for wat...
Q.2-02: Impacts of neonicotinoid treated corn to aquatic invertebrates in floodplain wetlands
by Kyle Kuechle, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Bismarck, ND 58503 , et al
Presented by Kyle Kuechle - Email: kkuechle@ducks.org
Neonicotinoid insecticides (NI) are commonly used as seed-treatments on major agricultural row crops (e.g., corn). Indeed, neonicotinoid treated agricultural crops are often planted directly in floodplain wetlands managed for wildlife, specifically w...
Q.2-03: Seasonal habitat partitioning by sympatric sea ducks in eastern North America
by Juliet Lamb, University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Kingston, RI, USA, et al
Presented by Juliet Lamb - Email: jslamb@uri.edu
Habitat partitioning, wherein species that occupy the same geographic areas select different locations or resources within their habitats, is considered key to the coexistence of closely related sympatric species. However, partitioning can be difficu...
Q.2-04: Waterfowl use of mine tailing ponds in comparison with beaver ponds in the eastern Boreal
by Emilie Desjardins, Institut de recherche sur les forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Qc., et al
Presented by Emilie Desjardins - Email: Emilie.Desjardins@uqat.ca
The mining industry is believed to have negative impacts on ecosystems, including waterfowl. In Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a region in eastern Boreal Canada, wetlands and deep waters cover 43% of the 65, 000 km² and it is renowned for waterfowl diversity...
Q.2-05: Estimating the energy landscape of the Suisun Marsh
by Dan J. Smith, University of California, Davis, et al
Presented by Dan Smith - Email: djssmith@ucdavis.edu
The Suisun Marsh is one the largest brackish marshes in the western United States, containing both extensively managed wetlands and tidal wetlands. The managed wetlands are especially important to migratory waterfowl early in the wintering period, as...
Q.2-06: Estimating the impact of delayed drawdown on seed production
by Dan J. Smith, University of California, Davis, et al
Presented by Dan J. Smith - Email: djssmith@ucdavis.edu
In an attempt to mitigate the dramatic loss of wetland habitat in Californias Central Valley, wetland managers extensively manipulate remaining wetlands to provide foraging habitat for wintering waterfowl. Providing information to wetland managers so...
Presented by Chris Williams - Email: ckwillia@udel.edu
Phragmites australis, a non-native perennial grass, is considered a nuisance species and a form of biological pollution. Phragmites thrives in areas with reduced soil salinities and increased nitrogen availability, which is caused when woody vegetati...
Presented by Marissa Kaminski - Email: marissakami77@gmail.com
In the summer of 2017, we evaluated factors affecting macro-invertebrate communities and biomass estimates for waterfowl broods across 80 restored wetlands in southeastern Wisconsin. Studied wetlands were within the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area (...
Q.2-09: Building Resiliency in Coastal Waterfowl Habitats on the Texas Coast
by Kevin Hartke, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Richmond, Texas, et al
Presented by Kevin Hartke - Email: khartke@ducks.org
Coastal wetlands on the Texas Gulf Coast provide critical habitat for a diversity of waterfowl species, serving as essential foraging habitats during migration and winter and nesting and brood rearing habitats during breeding seasons. These critical...
Q.2-10: Dabbling duck use of agriculturally manipulated and unmanipulated wetlands in the Drift Prairie of North Dakota and South Dakota
by Dustin Toy, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, et al
Presented by Dustin Toy - Email: dustin.toy@ndsu.edu
Agricultural expansion has led to conversion of much of the Drift Prairie, a subregion of the Prairie Pothole Region, into cropland. In turn, >80% of the remaining temporary and seasonal wetlands are in crop or alfalfa fields. During dry periods, the...
Q.2-11: Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) brood use of man-made wetlands in Southland, New Zealand
by Erin J. Garrick, Fish & Game New Zealand, Southland Region, P.O. Box 159, Invercargill 9840, New Zealand, et al
Presented by Erin Garrick - Email: erin.garrick@southlandfishgame.co.nz
The Southland region of New Zealand has numerous small (~1 hectare) man-made wetlands purposed for duck hunting, however, it is unclear how suitable these man-made wetlands are for mallard brood rearing. Our objective was to assess differences in mal...
Q.2-12: Restoring a Large Freshwater Coastal Wetland on the Prairies; Waterfowl Response to Common Carp Exclusion at Delta Marsh, Manitoba
by Dale Wrubleski, Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Manitoba, et al
Presented by Dale Wrubleski - Email: d_wrubleski@ducks.ca
Delta Marsh is an important mid-continent waterfowl staging area in Manitoba. However, the marsh has been degraded by an artificially regulated water regime, eutrophication and invasive species, all of which have contributed to declining waterfowl nu...
